Machine for making and applying waistbands to trousers



M y 7, 1929- v w. E. LE ROY El AL 1,712,305

MACHI NE FOR MAKING AND APPLYING WAISTBANDS T0 TROUSERS Filed Jan. 5, 1925 7 Shee ts-Sheet 1 Ana ions y 7, 2 w. E. LE ROY ET AL 1,712,305

MACHINE FOR MAKING AND APPLYING WAISTBANDS T0 TROUSERS Filed Jan. 5, 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 7, 1929.

w. E. LE ROY ET AL MACHINE FOR MAKING AND APPLYING WAISTBANDS TO TROUSERS Filed Jan. 5, 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 May 7, 1929. w. E. LE ROY ET AL MACHINE FOR MAKING AND APPLYING WAISTBANDS TO TROUSERS Filed Jan. 5, 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 y 1929- w. E. LE ROY ET AL ,305

MACHINE FOR MAKING AND APPLYING WAISTBANDS To TROUSERS Filed Jan. 5, 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 y 7, 1929- w. E. LE ROY ET AL 1,712,305

MACHINE FOR" MAKING AND APPLYING WAISTBANDS TO TROUSERS Filed Jan. 5, 1925 '7 SheetsSheet 6 W. E. LE ROY ET Al MACHINE FOR MAKING AND APPLYING WAISTBANDS TO TROUSERS Patented May 7, 1929.

UNITED STATES v 1,712,305 PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER E. LE ROY AND WILLIAM B. FOSTER, OF QINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO UNION SPECIAL MACHINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR MAKING AND APPLYING WAISTBANDS T TROUSERS.

Application filed January 5, 1925. Serial No. 570.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in sewing machines, and more particularly to a sewing machine for making which the waist band as constructed includes a stiffening strip and a facing strip.

A still further ob ect of the invention 1s to provide a machine of the above type whereln the waistband is made from a. single strip of fabric. the side edges of which are inturned and the stitches for uniting the parts of the waist band and securing the same to the trousers are formed from threads which lie between the inturned portions of the facing strip. which threads are provided with loops which pass through the inturned portions and the fabric adjacent thereto for securing the parts together and to-the body fabric of the trousers.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above type wherein the facing strip of the waistbandis con siderably wider than the distance between the lines of stitching securing the'parts together. so that said facing strip may be folded and the folded portion thereof utilized for covering the lower edge of the stiffening strip.

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully described. v

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention- Figure 1 is a front view showing a sewing machine embodying the invention, the front end of the machine only being shown:

Fig. '2 is a similar view, but showing the parts of the machine from the left-hand front end thereof;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine on the line 3 3 of Fig.2:

Fig. 3;

Fig. 18

Fig. 3:

Fig. (i is a of Fig. 9.;

a sectional view on the line 5 -5 of Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4.-1 of Fig. 7 1s a perspective view of the parts for guidlng the facing strip, said parts being sep-' arated so as to show more clearly the structure thereof;

F ig. 8 is a sectional view through the supporting bracket for the foot sections of the presser foot taken on the line of the pivotal connection for said foot sections;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view parallel with the line of feed, showing the presser foot construction, the fabric parts and the guide for the facing strip;

F 1g. 10 is a perspective View showing the facing strip, the stitfening strip and the body fabric of the trousers, with the facing strip 1 folded and directed as it is in the machine;

Fig. 11 1s a sectional view on the line 1111 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 13 is asectional view on the line 13-13 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 14 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing a slightly modified form of the invention;

Fig. 15 is a sectional view through the waist band construction made on the arrangement of parts shown in Fig. 14, and

' Fig. 16 is a view similar to Fig. 15, but showing the waist band folded inside of the trousers. i

The invention is directed broadly to a machine for constructing awaist band and simultaneously stitching the same to the body portion of trousers. The waist band preferably includes a facing strip which may be made of a single piece of fabric, or a plurality of sections of fabric, and a stiffening strip. The facin strip is secured to the side edges of the stiffening strip by lines of stitches. One of the threads forming the line of stitches at the upper edge of the stiffening strip lies between the body portion of the facing strip and the inturned portion thereof. and said thread is formed into loops which penetrate the inturned portion only of the facing strip and are thence passed through the body fabric of the trousers, and finally through the upper edge of the stiffening strip. These thread loops are secured in the usual manner. The lower edge of the facing strip is secured to the stiffening strip bv a. line of stitches, one of the threads of the facing strip at the bottom edge thereof and the body portion of said facing strip. This thread is formed into loops which are passed through the inturned portion of the facing strip only, and thence through a stiffening strip, where they are secured in the usual manner. These parts are all simultaneously united by the two lines of stitches. After the parts have been so stitched, the body fabric is turned over the edge of the stiffening strip, so that in the finished garment, the body fabric conceals the threads from viewat the outer side of the garment,

' while the body portion of the facing strip conceals the threads from view from the inside of the garment.

The facing strip is fed to the stitching mechanism from a point in rear of the needles, said strip passing through a suitable guide therefor in rear of the sewing head in which the needle bar reciprocates.

The presser foot is attached by a bracket to the presser bar, and is so constructed that the strip may be directed beneath said bracket to a point in front thereof. The strip is then directed in an upward direction to a point slightly above the clamping head for the needles. Said strip is then led in a downward direction to the stitching point, and during this downward movement, the edges are folded around in front of the needles, so that the body portion of the strip passes in rear of the needles, While the folded inside edges thereof pass in front of the needles. The parts of the facing strip are then turned at right angles and led underneath the presser foot, and so it is that the inturned portions are caused to cross the path of the respective needles, and said inturned portions only will be stitched to the parts of the Waist band and the trousers which pass straight across beneath the presser foot.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the machine embodying the invention consists of a work support 1 which is mounted on a suitable bed plate 2. The machine includes an overhanging arm 3 carrying a needle head 4 in which a needle bar 5 recipro cates. Said needle bar 5 is provided with a cross head 6, in which are clamped twe needles 7 and 8. These needles pass down through the cloth plate 1, and the thread loops are secured by'the usual thread carrying loopers 9 and 10, respectively, which form enchaining loops for securing the needle thread loops. These parts are of the usual construction, and have not been fully illustrated in detail.

Referring to Fig. 13, the improved waist band, which the machine is designed to construct and secure to the body portion of trousers, includes a stiffening strip S and a facing strip F. The body portion of the trousers is indicated at B in Fig. 13. The facing strip as illustrated in this figure is made in one piece and has an inturned portion 7 and an inturned portion f. The inturned portion 7 is at the top of the facing strip or skirt for the trousers, while the inturned-portion f is at the lower edge thereof. The body fabric is placed between the in turned portion 7 and the stiffening strip S, and is secured by a line of stitches s which pass through the inturned portion f only of the facing strip, and thence through the body fabric and the upper edge of the stiffening strip S. The inturned portion f is secured to the stiffening strip by a line of stitches s. The facing stri F is led from a suitable source of supply ownwardly in rear of the needle head 4, and thence through a suitable guide 11. This guide 11 as shown in Fig. 3 is formed with a guiding passage 12 and a guiding passage 13. These two passages are so shaped that the facing strip as it passes therethrough will be folded intermediate its side edges as indicated at 15 in Fig. 10.

Mounted in the needle head 4 is a vertical bar 16. Said bar is mounted to slide in suitable bearings 17 and 18 carried by the needle head. Said bar is provided with a sleeve 19 which carries a projecting arm 20 which extends through a suitable opening in the guide bar 21. A spring 22 normally forces this bar 16 in a downward direction. Mounted on the lower end of this bar 16 is a supporting head 23. A bracket 24 (see Fig. 7-) is secured to this head. Said bracket is provided with downwardly turned portions 25. 25 at the sides thereof, and these down-turned sides are connected by a cross bar 26. Said cross bar 26 has depending lugs 27, 2S and 29. There are two presser foot sections 30 and 3t which hold the fabric on the work support 1 during the stitching thereof. The section 30 is mounted on a lug 32 which extends upwardly in between the lugs 27 and 28, while the section 31, which is entirely independent of the section 30, has a supporting lug 33 which lies between the lugs 28 and 25). A pivot pin 34 passes through these lugs, and thus the foot sections 30 and 31 are pivotally supported by the cross bar 26 of this bracket at the lower end of the Vertical. bar 16. The spring 22 yieldingly holds the foot sections on the'material. Said foot sections can yield bodily and they can swing independently on their pivotal connections. It will be noted that the members 24125 and 26 are all made of spring metal. and this takes the place of a yielding-construction for supporting the sections of the presser foot. In other words, when a greater thickness runs under one side of the presser foot, these yielding members will spring and allow that side of the presser foot to rise, and on the other hand, if an extra thickness runs under the other side of the foot, the supporting bracket will yield, and allow that portion of the foot to move upward. Thus it is that by the improved meth- 0d of supporting the sections of the presser foot, the facing strip can be fed from the rear of the machine and secured to the body fabric by concealed stitches. Furthermore, often in making upa waist band, it is desirous of securing a belt loop t9 the waist band structure. The operator merely feeds in the formed belt loops at the proper spacing, inserting the ends between the waist band and the body of the material. As these belt loops pass underneath the presser foot,the member 2st will yield to allow the material to pass, and at the same time, keep all the parts in proper engagementon the feeding mechanlsm.

At each end of thebracket 21 there is an upstanding bracket 35. These bracketsare each providcdwith an inturned portion of metal 36 and suitable screws are passed through holes in the inturnedportions 36 and are threaded into suitable holes in the bracket 24. Mounted at the rear of the brackets 35, is a roller 3'7 which is carried by and turns freely on a. rod 38. Mounted at the front lower side of these brackets 35, 35 is a similar roller 39. These two rollers as clearly shown in Fig. 2. lie at opposite sides of: the supporting bar 16 for the presser foot. Also mounted on the brackets 35, 35 is a third roller which is provided with guiding disks 41, 41. The fabric strip as it leaves the guide 11 passes underneath the roller 37 and thence across through the space between the bracket 24 and the cross piece 26 to the roller 39. The facing strip then passes upwardly to the roller -10, around said roller. and thence downwardly to a point where it may pass underneath the, foot sections of the presser foot.

Secured to the lugs 27 and 29 are two brackets 42 and 43. Each bracket has a vertically elongated slot 4% through which a screw 45 passes. and this screw is threaded into a suitable hole in the respective lug in rear thereof. These brackets 42 and $3 are each provided with a forwardly projecting member 46. which has a horizontally elongated slot 47 therein. A guide block s18 is located between these forwardly projecting members 46 and is carried by suitable screws 49 which pass through the elongated slots 47. This guide block 48 is provided with a guiding passage 50 which extends from one side thereof to the other, and the facing strip li after it leaves the guide roller 40. passes through this guiding passage 50. Located in the guiding passage 50 is a guiding member 51. which guiding member has its ends thereof turned backwardly so that the channel between the guiding member 51 and the rear face of the" block 48 is so shaped as to inturn the side edges of the .facing strip. The two needles are so disposed that one of the needles passes down through this guiding member 51 in the space 52 formed the parts directly beneath the same.

by the bent back portion of the guiding member 51, while the other needle passes down through a similar space 53 at the other end of this guiding member 51. The side edges of the facing strip when they are folded inwardly will be folded around the path of the needles as'is clearly shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings. The presser foot section is provided with an enlarged elongated opening 5-1, and this block 48 sets in this opening in the presser foot sections (see Figures 7 and 9). raised and lowered, and also of being moved forwardly and rearwardly so as to be properly positioned in the opening in the prcsser foot sections, and relative to the work support beneath the presser foot. The body portion of the facing strip, when it reaches the lower end of the guiding passage 50 therefor, is bent at right angles as indicated at F, in Fig. 9. It is then led in a rearward direction to the rear end of the foot, and also in a direction parallel withthe body fabric B and the stiffening strip S. which are passing through the machine. The inturned portions f and f of the facing strip are turned so as to pass toward the rear of the machine, and therefore, said inturned sections will cross the path of the respective needles located at the ends of the guiding passage 50 and reciprocating in the passages 52 and 53, respectively. The needles will penetrate the respective inturned edges of the facing strip, and will continue on down through the body fabric of the trousers and the stiffening strip at one side of the machine, and at the other, down through the stifiening strip only. Thus it is that the thread forming the stitches will lie between the body portion of the facingstrip and the inturned portion thereof, and the loops forming the thread by the needle will be caused to penetrate the inturned portions only of the facing strip and Those needle thread loops are secured by the looper thread loops, or may be secured in any other desired way. The concealed stitches forn'ied by the above described mechanism are similar to those shown and described in the patent to Higgins No. 1,195,814, granted August 22, 1916, and no claim of course. is made to the method or means of making these stitches per se, but only in combination with the devices herein shown for simultaneously stitching the parts of a. waist band.

The stiffening strip S is led into the machine from the front thereof. Said strip S Said block is capable of being passes through a suitable guide 55 formed in a plate 56 which is secured to the cloth plate 1 of the machine by screws 57 passing through elongated slots 58, which enables the guide for the stiffening strip to be adjusted sons to be properly directed to the needles 7 and 8 (see Fig. 3). The body fabric B is'led along the edge guide 59 which is secured to the plate 56 by means of screws 60, 60 passing through an elongated slot 61. This enablesthe edge guide to be adjusted to properly'direct the body fabric of the trousers, so that the needle 7 at the left of the machine will penetrate said body fabric.

The facing strip F as noted above, is folded intermediate its edges, and the fold in the strip is sufliciently back from the side edges thereof, so that the side edges may be inturned as described, without inturning any of the folded part of the facing strip. The facing strip passes underneath the rollers 37 and 39 and over a roller 40 in its folded condition. .The purpose of this fold in the facing'strip is to draw the side edges of the facing strip inwardly toward each other so that the stitches may be passed through these inturned portions by needles which are spaced a distance apart which is considerably. less than the width of the faeing'strip as completed. In fact, the needles are set so as to properly enter the side edges of the stiffening strip, and therefore,.the parts of the facing strip which are stitched must'be the same distance apart. By folding this facing strip intermediate the points where the stitches pass therethrough, the body fabric of the facing strip may be made considerably wider than the stiffening strip. The facing strip stays in its folded condition as it passes underneath the presser foot sections. The two presser foot sections are independent of each other, so that they may be turned independently on the pivot rod supporting the same. The section 31 will ride on the body fabric and hold the same against a stiffening strip S beneath said body fabric. The facing strip passes down through an opening 54 and -'is then turned backwardly and passes underneaththe foot sections 30 and 31 in rear of 'the slot 54. Located in rear of the stitching carried by a bar 64 which is moved downwardly into contact with the fabric sections by a spring.- This puller roller 62 cooperates with a feed roller 66 of the usual puller type as shown for example in the patent to Seymour No. 1,145,619,'granted July 6, 1915.

The stitched waist band after passing from underneath the presser foot passes through a guide 67 which is secured to the cloth plate 1 of thesewing machine by means of screws 68, 68. This guide 67 has an overhanging part 69 with a lip 70 underneath which is adapted to pass underneath the folded over part 71 of the facing strip (see Fig. 11 This lip is 7 so shapedthat it turns this folded over part 71 to the vertical position 72 (see Fig. 12), and thence to a horizontal position as indicated in Fig. 13. By the above structure, the facing strip is folded intermediate its edges and passes into the stitching parts of the machine in its folded condition. After the inturned edges of the facing strip have been united to the remaining parts of the waist hand, then this folded under section is unfolded and straightened out, so that in the finished waist band, the edge of the fold 73 in the facing strip covers the edge 74 of the stiffening strip S. 'As the parts leave the machine, they are arranged as shown in Fig. 13. The waist band is "now finished, and the body fabric B is folded over the edge of the stiffening strip, so that the threads which join the facing strip to the stiffening strip are concealed from view at the front of the trousers. These stitches are also concealed from View by the body portion of the facing strip from the inside of the trousers. The fold in the facing strip makes a neat finish for said facing strip, completely covering the edge of the stiffening strip.

In Figures 15 and 16 of the drawings, I have shown a waist band construction wherein the body portion of the garment is indicated at B, the facing strip at F and the stillening strip at S. The facing strip with its inturned edges is the same in width as the stiffening strip. Located between the free edge of the facing strip and the free edge of the stiffening strip is a folded skirt 75. This is made from a single fabric strip folded intermediate its edges. The stitches 8 pass through the inturned portion of the facing strip F and then through the edges of the folded skirt'75 and finally through the edge of the stiffening strip S, and thus it is that the skirt is secured to the facing strip and stiffening strip by concealed stitches.

The structure for making this form of waist band is illustrated particularly in Fig.

.14, and is, in a large result, precisely like that illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, which is to be used for making the waist band structure shown in Figures 11 to 13, inclusive. Attached to the front of the machine is a strip folder 76. The screws 57 are removed and pass through slots 77 in the shank 78 of -this strip folder, and thus the strip folder is firmly secured to the cloth plate of the sewingmachine. Said strip folder is provided with a guiding member 7 9 through which the strip of fabric forming the skirt is passed. The guiding member 79 leads into a guiding membpr 80 located at right angles to the member 79, and also located in front of the presser foot. This strip folder 80 folds the strip forming the skirt- 7 5 intermediate its edges and directs'the free edges of this folded strip, so that the needle 8 will pass through the folded strip adjacent its edges and thus secure the facing strip, the

stiffening strip and the skirt together by conlift strip, or substantially so. This facing strip is led through a slot 81 formed in the bracket 11. This slot is a straight slot without any means between its ends for folding the strip as it passes therethrough. This bracket 11 is carried by arms 82 secured by screws 83 to the main bracket member 24, so that said bracket 11 will move up and down with the movement of the presser foot. The arms 82 carrying the bracket 11, at their outer ends, are turned at right'angles so as to be parallel with the bracket member 11, and are slotted so that screws 84 may be passed therethrough for securing the bracket ll to these arms. This affords a means for laterally shifting the bracket 11, so as to properly aline this slot with the needles. Inasmuch as this facing is infolded intermediate its side edges machine, and the facing strip still passed through the slot 81, then the waist band would be constructed without any depending skirt or extensionin the facing strip lying below the edge of the stiffening strip. In other words, the facing strip with its infolded edges will be of the same width as the stiffening strip.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and the arrangement of the part-s may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of stitch forming mechanism including spaced needles, means for directing a stiffening strip to said needles, means for directing a facing strip to said needles with the edges thereof inturned about the respective needles, so that the stitching threads are concealed by the body portionof the facing strip, and means for folding said facing strip between its inturned edges and retaining the same folded until the inturned edges are stitched.

The combination of stitch forming mechanism including spaced needles, means for directing a stiffening strip to said needles so that said needles penetrate said strip adjacent the respective edges thereof, means for directing a facingstrip tosaidneedleswiththe edges inturned about the respective needles so the invention, what I that the stitching threads are concealed by the body portion of the facing strip, and means for folding athird strip and directing the sanie to one of the needles so that the folded portion of said last-named strip projects away from said needles.

3. The combination of stitch forming mechanism including spaced needles, means for directing a stiffening strip to said needles sothat said needles penetrate said strip adjacent the respective edges thereof, means for directing 21 facing strip to said needles with the edges inturned about the respective needles so that the stitching threads are concealed by the body portion of the facing strip, and means for folding said facing strip between its inturned edges and retaining the same folded until the inturned edges are stitched.

4. The combination of stitch forming mechanism including spaced needles, means for directing a stiffening strip to said needles so that said needles penetrate said strip adjacent the respective edges thereof means for directinga facing strip to said needles with the edges inturned about the respective needles so that the stitching threads are concealed by the body portion of the facing strip, means for folding said facing strip between its edges so that the finished facing strip is wider than the space between the needles, and means for unfolding said folded over portion after the parts are stitched.

5. The combination of a stitching mechanism including spaced needles, a presser bar,

a supporting head at the lower end of said presser bar, a bracket carried by said supporting head and projecting laterally therefrom and having downwardly turned yielding portions at the sides thereof, a cross bar connecting said downwardly turned portions, a presser foot mounted on said cross bar, means for guiding a facing strip from the rear of the machine through the space heneath the supporting head, and means for inturning the side edges of the facing strip about the respective needles and for directing said inturned edges rearwardlyacross the path of the needles, whereby the stitching threads are concealed within the inturned edges of the facing strip.

6. The combination of a stitching mechanism including spaced needles, a presser bar, a supporting head at the lower end of said presser bar, a bracket carried by said supporting head and projecting laterally therefor inturning the side. edges of' the facing strip about the respective needles and for directing said inturned edges rearwardly across the path of the needles, whereby the stitching threads are concealed within the inturned edges of the facing strip, and means for folding said facing strip intermediate its side edges prior to said facing strip passing through said space. Y .s

7. The combination of a stitching mechanism includinglspaced needles, a presser bar, a supporting presser bar, a bracket carried by said supporting head and projecting laterally there- 'from and having downwardly turned yieldsaid bracket at the rear side thereof, and a roller carried by said bracket at the front thereof, over which the facing stri is guided.

8. The combination of a stitching mechanism includin spaced needles, a presser bar, a supporting ead at the lower end of said presser bar, a bracket mounted on said supporting head, said bracket having a cross bar carried by depending members so as to pro: vide a space underneath the supporting head,

supports mounted at each end of said bracket,

a roller carried by said supports and located at the rear edge of said bracket, a roller carried by said supports and located at the front edge of said bracket, and a third roller carried by said supports and located in rear of the path of reciprocation of the needles, said rollers guiding a facing strip from the rear of the machine to the front of the machine, a presser foot mounted on said cross bar and having an opening formed therethrough, a

- strip folding guide located in said opening and mounted on said bracket, said strip guide operating to inturn the side edges of the facing strip and to direct said inturned edges across t e path of the respective needles.

9. The combination of a stitching mechanism including spaced needles, a presser bar,

a supporting head at the lower end of said presser bar, a bracket mounted on said supporting head, said bracket having a cross bar carried by depending members so as to provide ,a space underneath the supporting head, supports mounted at each end of said bracket, a roller carried by said supports and located at the rear edge of said bracket, a roller carried by said supports and. located at the front edge of said bracket, a third roller carried by said supports and located in rear of the path of reciprocation of the needles, said rollers ead at the lower end of said\v guiding a facing strip from the rear of the machine to the front of the machine, a presser foot mounted on said cross bar and having an opening formed therethrough, a strip folding guide located in said opening and mounted on said bracket, said strip guide operating to inturn the side edges of the facing strip and to direct said inturned edges across the path of the respective needles, and means whereby said strip guide may be adjusted verticall so as to properly position the same for gui ing the facing strip beneath the presser foot.

10. The combination of a stitching mechanism includin spaced needles, a presser bar, a supporting head at the lower end of said presser bar, a bracket mounted on said supa J porting head, sald bracket having a cross bar carried by yielding depending members so as to provide a space underneath the supporting head, supports mounted at each end of said bracket, a roller carried by said supports and located at the rear edge of said bracket, a roller carried by said supports and located at the front ed e of said bracket, a third roller carried by sai supports and located in rear of the path of reciprocation of'the needles, said rollers guiding a facing strip from the rear of the machine to the front of the machine, a presser foot mounted on said cross bar and having an opening formed therethrough, a strip folding guide located in said opening and mounted on said bracket, said strip guide operating to inturn the side edges of the facing strip and to direct said inturned edges across the path of the respective needles, means for pivotally supporting said presser foot whereby the same may rock in a vertical plane, and means for adjustably supporting said facing strip guide independently of said presser foot whereby the same may be positioned properly to direct said facing strip beneath the presser foot.

11. The combination of a stitching mecha- 'nism including spaced needles, a presser bar.

a supporting head at the lower end of said presser bar, a bracket mounted on said supporting head, said bracket having a cross bar carried by depending members so as to provide a space underneath the supporting head, supports mounted at each end of said bracket, a roller carried by said supports and located at the rear edge of said bracket, a roller carried by said supports and located at the front edge of said bracket, a third roller carried by said supports and located in rear of the path of reciprocation of the needles, said rollers guiding a facing strip from the rear of the machine to the front of the machine, a presser foot mounted on said cross bar and having an opening formed therethrough, a strip folding guide located 'in said opening and mounted on said bracket, said strip guide operating to inturn the side edges of the facing strip and to direct said inturned edges across the path of the respective needles, meansfor pivotal'ly supporting said presser foot wherebv the same may rock in a vertical plane, means for adjustably supporting said facing strip guide independently, of said presser foot whereby the same may be positioned properly to directsaid'facing stripbeneath the presser foot, and means for folding a facing strip between said edges on the way to the needles, whereby the width of the facing strip is greater than the distance between the needles.

12. The combination of a stitching mechanism including spaced needles, a presser bar, a supporting head, at the lower end of the presser bar, abracket carried by said supporting head, a presser foot pivotally mounted on said bracket, said bracket being constructed so as to provide a space through which the facing strip may be guided from the rear of the machine to the presser foot, said presser foot having an opening therethrough forthe needles, a facing strip guide located in said opening for inturning the side edges of the facing strip, and'for directing said inturned edges across the path of the respective needles, and means for supporting said facing strip guide on said bracket independently of said presser foot.

13. The combination of a stitching mechanism including. spaced needles, a presser bar, a supporting head at the lower end of the presser bar, a bracket carried by said sup porting head, a presserfoot'mounted on said bracket, said bracket being constructed so as to provide a space through which the facing strip may be guided-from the rear of the ma chine to the presser foot, said presser foot having an opening therethrough for the needles, a facing strip guide located in said opening for inturning the side edges ofthe facing strip and for directing said inturhed edges across the path of the respective needles,

means for supportingv said facing strip guide,

on said bracket independently of the presser foot, said presser footbeing split lengthwise parallel with the line of feed so as to form two sections, said sections being independently pivoted to the bracket, and means forguiding a stiffening strip beneath said presser foot with the side edges thereof adjacent the respective needles.

14. The combination of a stitching mechanism including spaced needles, a presser bar, a supporting head at the lower end of the presser bar, a bracket carried by said supporting head, a presser foot mounted on said bracket, said bracket being constructed so as to provide a space through which the facing strip niay be guided from the rear of the machine to the presser foot, said presser foot having an opening therethrough for the needles, a facing strip guide located in said opening for inturning the side edges across the path of the respective needles, means forsupporting said facing strip guide on said bracket independently of the presser foot, said prerser foot being split lengthwise parallel with the line of feed so as to form two sections, said sections being independently pivoted to the bracket, means for guiding a stiffening strip beneath said presser foot with bracket, said bracket being constructed so as to provide a space through which the facing strip may be guided fromthe rear of the machine to the presser foot, said presser foot having an opening therethrough for the needles, a facing strip guide located in said opening for inturning the side edges of the facing strip and for directing said inturned edges across the path of the respective needles, means for supporting said facing strip guide on said bracket, a guide carried by said bracket at the rear of the machine for directing said facing strip, said guide being constructed so as to fold said facing strip intermediate the side edges whereby said strip is made narrower during the stitching thereof, and means for guiding a stiffening strip beneath the presser foot whereby the needles pass through said strip adjacent the side edges thereof. p

16. The combination of a stitching mechanism including spaced needles, a presser bar, a supporting head at the lower end of the presser bar, a bracket carried by the supporting head, a presser foot mounted on said bracket, said bracket being shaped so as to provide a passageway directly over the presser foot through which the facing strip may be guided and to provide a yielding support for the presser foot, a roller supported'by the rear side of said bracket, and a roller supported at the front side of said bracket, over which the facing strip is guided, a roller supported at a distance above the presser foot and adjacent the path of the needles, one of said rollers being movable up and down with the presser foot, said presser foot having a passage therethrough for the facing strip and the needles, and a facing strip guide located in said passage for inturning the side edges 'of the facing strip and directing said inturned edges across the path of the respective needles.

. 17. The combination of a stitching mechanism including spaced needles, a presser bar,

a supporting head at the lower end of the porting head, a presser foot mounted on said bracket, said bracket being shaped so as to provide a passageway directly over the presser foot through which the facing strip may be guided and to provide a yielding support for the presser foot, a roller supported by the rear side of said bracket, and a roller supported at the front side of said bracket over which the facing strip is guided, a roller supported at a distance above the presser foot and adjacent the path of the needles, one of said rollers being movable 'ilp and down with the presser foot, said presser foot having a. passage therethrough for the facing strip and the needles, a facing strip guide located in said passage for inturning the side edges of the facing strip and directing sai'd inturned edges across the path of the respective needles, and means in rear of the bracket for guiding said facing strip and folding the same between its side edges so that said strip as it is stitched will have an unstitched fold therein between the lines of stitching.

18. The combination of a stitching mechanism including spaced needles, a presser bar,

- a supporting head at the lower end of the presser bar, a. bracket carried by the supporting head, a presser foot mounted on said bracket, said bracket being shaped so as to provide a passageway directly over the presser foot through which the facing strip may be guided and to provide a yielding support for the presser foot, a roller supported by the rear side of said bracket, and a roller supported at the front side of said bracket over which the facing strip is guided, a roller supported at a distance above the presser foot and adjacent the path of the needles, one of said rollers being movable up and down with the presser foot, said presser foot having a passage therethrough for the facing strip and the needles, a facing strip guide located in said passage for inturning the side edges of the facing strip and directing said intnrned edges across the path of the respective needles, means in rear of the bracket for guiding said facing strip and folding the same between its side edges so that said strip as it is stitched will have an unstitched fold therein between the lines of stitching, and means for guiding a stiffening strip underneath said presser foot with the side edges thereof underneath the inturned edges of the facing strip whereby said facing strip and strengthening strip are united by stitches which are concealed from view by the facing strip.

In testimony whereof, we afiix our signatures.

WALTER E. LE ROY. WILLIAM B. FOSTER. 

